By Zweli Martin Dlamini

MBABANE: Reverend Senzo Hlatjwako and his out-on-bail wife Assitant Immigration Officer Misiwe Jele’s house situated at Eveni in Mbabane was on Tuesday afternoon, raided by a battalion of armed police officers in the widely reported multibillion illegal gambling and extortion scandal.

The latest developments come after this Swaziland News reported earlier on Tuesday that, the Reverend allegedly colluded with his wife and Chinese nationals to establish a company subsequently used in illegal gambling and extortion, they allegedly assisted over one thousand (1000) Chinese nationals to enter Eswatini illegally while others secured questionable permits.

Senior Superintendent Phindile Vilakati was not immediately available for a comment regarding the raiding.

But sources within the Police Executive Command told this publication that, the Reverend allegedly attempted to call National Commissioner Vusi Manoma Masango three (3) times in an alleged attempt to stop the investigation and after making calls to other high profile people, the National Commissioner ignored his calls.

Eswatini police arrested about ninety (90) Chinese from the People’s Republic of China (PRC) some who allegedly entered Eswatini illegally to engage in illegal online gambling and extortion.

It has been disclosed that, the Reverend established and registered a company and was working with the Chinese in defrauding people around the world through an online software, the Chinese rented the entire Castle Hotel operating the online scamming scheme.

But apart from that, Reverend Hlatjwako and his wife Misiwe Jele, allegedly colluded with the Chinese nationals to establish a ‘fake’ Police Station inside the rented Castle Hotel in Mbabane, the fake Police Station was used to digitally extort and defraud high profile people in various countries facing crimes, they were made to pay large amounts of money “if they want their cases to disappear”.

Currently, Eswatini police managed to arrest about ninety (90) Chinese nationals but an investigation conducted by this Swaziland News subsequently uncovered that, Reverend Senzo Hlatjwako and his wife allegedly assisted over one thousand (1000) Chinese nationals to illegally enter Eswatini for the online illegal gambling and extortion scheme.